Australian Disability Network

Australian Disability Network welcomes the much-needed focus on #DisabilityEmployment in last night’s #FederalBudget, including the $23 million in funding to establish the Disability Employment Centre of Excellence, and the investment in a modern digital platform to better deliver support to Disability Employment Service providers and participants. We look forward to seeing the detail of how the Disability Employment Centre of Excellence will operate and partner with existing disability employment organisations. However, the Federal Budget has missed the opportunity to provide tangible support and resources for employers to hire people with disability, especially small and medium enterprises who are one of the biggest employer groups in the country. #EquitableEmployment and #CareerAdvancement opportunities are a gamechanger. We hope the Government’s response to Disability Royal Commission will include incentives and support for employers to address the entrenched under-representation of people with disability in the workforce. Read our November 2023 submission to the Disability Employment Centre of Excellence here: https://lnkd.in/eawmABzr

Meet one of our proud sponsors for IMPACT 2024 - BindiMaps!    Bindimaps' award-winning wayfinding technology simplifies navigation in complex indoor spaces, making buildings accessible and ensuring inclusivity for all. They work with some of the biggest brands in Australia to ensure workplaces, hospitals, airports, shopping centres and entertainment venues can be accessed and enjoyed by everyone.    They will be installing their wayfinding technology at the Impact conference, so all attendees will be able to effortlessly navigate the event using visual maps, audio navigation, and wheelchair-accessible routes.    #AccessibilityMatters #Inclusion #AccessibilityForAll #Wayfinding #AssistiveTech 

We can’t think of a better way to say Happy Mother’s Day than this beautiful post by our wonderful 2024 #DisabilityInclusionChangemaker of the Year, Briar Harte 💕💕

After feeling empowered from a full day of impactful and inspiring sessions, we are so pleased that all IMPACT 2024 attendees can relive it all through our graphic recordings by Tim Harmer brought to you by The NRMA. Here’s a sneak peak with the graphic recording from the CEO Insights: Leading the way to workplace inclusivity 👏 All graphic recordings will be given to all in-person and virtual conference attendees soon – stay tuned! #AusDNImpact24 #Disability #WorkplaceInclusion

The extraordinary the Valuable 500 Founder, Caroline Casey wrapped up our amazing Impact 2024 conference. In a passionate keynote address Caroline made the audience laugh and cry, and left our attendees feeling fired up and heard.   Caroline revealed The Valuable 500’s synchronised collective action which will see 500 companies work together to target three key challenges over the next 18 months. 👉 Getting disability talent into the c-suite 👉 Disability performance reporting on companies 👉 Radically improving representation to people with disability in all corporate communications. “Leaders make choice, and leaders create change and create culture.” “If we are going to end this ridiculous exclusion of people with disability, business needs to stand with disability.”   #AusDNImpact24 #Disability #Inclusion

In our final panel discussion of IMPACT 2024, we explored why disability employment targets are essential to narrow the unemployment gap.   💬 “Targets can be set by the bosses but it’s critical that the people who have the job of actually achieving the targets have to have buy-in”. Randy Lewis.   💬 “Be honest with your company. If we measure and we don’t perform, we still continue to measure and continue to focus on that target.” AGL, Natasha Legge-Wilkinson.   💬 “We recognised that there was a real opportunity to attract skilled people with disability into our workforce … The figure has tripled from 3 per cent in 2019 to 9 per cent.” Department of Jobs, Skills, Industry and Regions, Katrina Carlton. 💬 “Without the risk of getting something wrong, you'll never get it right." Lawyer, Author and Company Directory, Graeme Innes AM.   💬 “Prioritsation is a game changer. We need to see more organisations focus on prioritising employees with disability but first they need to have the appropriate systems and processes in place. And having leaders on board is essential.” Australian Disability Network, Corene Strauss GAICD.   #AusDNImpact24 #Disability #Inclusion #EmploymentTargets

This Deep Dive session discusses the Australian Disability Network’s recent research into workplace adjustments and firsthand experiences from employer and employee perspectives!   The groundbreaking report was based on more than 560 responses from employees or job seekers with a disability and Australian employers.   💬 “Employees asked that employers do not treat workplace adjustments as just ticking the box.” -Australian Disability Network, Catherine Maitland, PhD.   💬 “Most workplace adjustments are minor, cost-neutral, and easy to implement. We ask employees what they need to be successful. RMIT University, Tara Waller.   💬 “Our recruitment process starts at the application stage. People with disability are welcome to apply and if you identify as having a disability, even if you don’t meet the job criteria, we will give you an interview.” -Victorian Disability Worker Commission, Primal Fernando.   💬 “One of the research interviewees summed it up when they asked employers to ‘just listen’.” Australian Disability Network, Amber O'Shea O’Shea.   Read the Workplace Adjustments Report here: https://lnkd.in/e8eXWDYf   #AusDNImpact24 #Disability #Inclusion #InclusiveWorkplaces #WorkplaceAdjustment

In our first deep dive session of the day, we heard personal employment experiences, barriers to employment and strategies to successfully recruit and retain employees with disability.   💬 “You can’t be what you can’t see. When I was growing up there were no people with disability in leadership roles. Most of the employment barriers I’ve faced have been unintended or based on fear or predicated on a ‘this is how it’s always been’ attitude.” -Australian Disability Network, Emma H..   💬 “There is still a cultural and social stigma about what people with disability can do. We built into the algorithm that candidates that identify as diverse we positively discriminate to put them at the top of the list.” -Coles Group, Katie Wyatt GAICD.   💬 “Recruitment barriers can be embedded in AI systems. AI products are products of humans. If humans are biased then machines will be biased too,” -Lawyer and Research, Dr Natalie Sheard. #AusDNImpact24 #Disability #Inclusion

“Compliance should never be the goal. We have a responsibility to not just create for our own employees but to create and have an impact on the world.”   In a powerful, moving session with Microsoft Chief Accessibility Officer Jenny Lay-Flurrie, we explored how current and future technologies are changing the lives of the people with disability.   💭 What technologies have you noticed making a big impact on people with disability?   #AusDNImpact24 #Disability #Inclusion #InclusiveTechnology

What a lineup of changemakers for our CEO panel: Leading the way to workplace inclusivity 👏   In this session, CEOs addressed critical topics such as workforce representation, goal setting, training, Employee Resource Groups, digital accessibility and MORE!   💬 “Last year we developed a diversity inclusion action plan. It is a three-year plan; we have listening tools and we’re getting feedback from employees and customers.” Qantas CEO & MD, Vanessa Hudson.   💬 “We don’t know what we don’t know so we are making it easier for employers … to share if they have a disability or need a workplace adjustment. Setting up that safe space is very important.” Pacific National CEO & MD, Paul Scurrah.   💬 “We found that people would stay in a role for a long time because they were concerned about changing roles and having to again highlight what workplace changes they needed. So, we’ve found accessibility passports are a great help as they don’t have to repeat all that again.” Australia Post CEO & MD, Paul Graham.   💬 “We set up our first access and inclusion plan 6 or 7 years because if you don’t measure things, they don’t change. We publicly share our targets for recruitment and retention. We are also focusing on career advancement opportunities for people with lived experience of disability.” Medibank CEO & MD, David Koczkar.   💬 “One of things we started was disability confidence training because so many of the team felt a bit afraid going up to someone and asking if they needed help … We wanted to grow their confidence and now over 90 per cent of our team have completed that training and it is now mandatory.” Coles Group CEO and MD, Leah Weckert.   #AusDNImpact24 #Disability #Inclusion